How to Get Away with Murder Season 5 Episode 15 Review: Please Say No One Else Is Dead
Whitney Evans
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Well, that was oddly both predictable and unpredictable all at once.
It wouldn't be a finale without a flashback or two, a red herring or seven and a cliffhanger that spawns a popular hashtag. And How to Get Away with Murder Season 5 Episode 15 had it all.
So as we come down from the high of those final few minutes, as far as finales go, how does this one measure up?
It was a very busy hour.
There were multiple plot points dangling out there, with the most pressing being, who the hell is Xavier Castillo and what does he want?
It turns out, much like everyone else in his family, he's crazy. And not only is he crazy, but he's also trying to be his father in every possible way. Even down to the fancy suits.
The Castillo's vendetta against Annalise has now officially gone to epic proportions. They arranged a whole murder just to derail her career and her life.
Related: How To Get Away With Murder Season 5 Episode 13 Review - Where Are Your Parents?
But Xavier wasn't working alone.
Governor Birkhead has been looming over this season since the beginning. So is it shocking when it's revealed that she's been working with Xavier? Absolutely not.
One thing that's still a bit hazy is how all these events came together. Did Jorge dispatch Xavier out to contact the governor and set everything into motion? Or was this the governor's plan all along?
Xavier doesn't come across as this menacing mastermind, so it's hard to think that he came up with this slightly convoluted plan on his own. Between dear old dad and the governor, it seems very likely to that his strings were being pulled in many ways.
Annalise truly described him best when she referred to him as boring.
A decent villain is well-rounded, with clear motives and someone who can pack an emotional punch. You want to feel something for them, whether that be anger, bitterness or even sympathy.
What you don't want to feel is indifference.
Related: How To Get Away With Murder Season 5 Episode 14 Review - Make Me The Enemy
Xavier comes and goes all throughout the episode and it's hard to ever become truly invested in him as a character. He seems more like a convenient prop to lead us back to the Castillo's as the overarching bad guys of the series.
But even though his villain skills are lacking, it was him that spoke with the guards and paid them to kill Nate Senior. So while Miller was a conflicted man who made some questionable choices, he wasn't evil.
He most certainly didn't deserve to die in the manner in which he did.
Annalise: What happened to you being a better Frank?
Frank: Maybe everybody else is better if I'm just Frank.
The decision to lie to Bonnie and Nate about this is totally in line with who Frank and Annalise are as people. They both enjoy making decisions that affect others without consulting them, believing it to be in their best interest.
Both Bonnie and Nate have been teetering on the edge since that night and they will forever be changed, regardless of Miller's innocence or guilt.
It's understandable that Frank and Annalise would want to spare them any more grief, but more than anyone else, these two should realize that those kinds of secrets never stay buried.
Laurel kept a secret from the group that could have fractured it for good.
It's pretty amazing to see just how far the Keating crew has come from the early days when they could barely stand one another and their only goals were to be at the top of the class and to stay out of jail.
They are really all each other has at this point and that's why learning that Laurel had gone behind their backs and talked to Telesco really hit them so hard.
Even though her intentions were never to turn on them, she still had to look out for herself and that's why she hung onto the blanket for as long as she did. By finally burning it, she was relinquishing that safety net once and for all.
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The whole episode she seemed to be saying her goodbyes in very subtle ways at first and then brazenly by the final frames.
Because we're used to death and betrayal, it was starting to feel like she was going to die in some completely ridiculous way that was going to leave us gobsmacked.
But no, instead she just vanished in the streets of the city. And Christopher vanished from his crib.
Was this Laurel's plan all along? Well, we've now got some time to really think about just where in the world is Laurel Castillo.
Everything Else You Need To Know
- So, was Emmett poisoned? Seeing him writhing on the floor in pain was more shocking than Laurel's disappearance. The obvious culprit is the governor but I'm hoping it's a little more complicated than that.
- Having Gabriel be the one responsible for his mother's ex-boyfriends death was a little nugget of information I wasn't expecting. It feels like we've barely scratched the surface when it comes to Gabriel. If he's sticking around, I hope they continue to explore his backstory more.
- And speaking of Gabriel and his backstory, I can't believe we went all season without seeing Mrs. Maddox. We were robbed!
- Annalise knowing Michaela's birth father was so random and I have no idea where this storyline is going but I'm intrigued.
And just like that, we are done another season of How To Get Away With Murder. I'm eager to hear about what you guys thought of that ending and where you'd like to see the show go from here.
Were you expecting Xavier and the governor to be working together? Who is after Emmett? Would you be okay if Laurel stayed away forever?
Leave all your comments down below, as I love to read them, and remember you can watch How to Get Away with Murder online anytime via TV Fanatic.
Whitney Evans is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is a lover of all things TV. Follow her on X.
